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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · degree · jam · pass · saw · bore · bear · arm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pass — a permit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — to tire
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. degree — an amount
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com